UM world series bound
Miami advances to CWS for first time since 2008
Hurricanes will face Gators next.
CORAL GABLES — Before walking into or out of their clubhouse, Miami Hurricanes players would all see one word: Omaha.
And for the first time in their careers, they will finally get to experience what it’s like to play there.
On the strength of another big offensive showing and some heroic pitching from infrequently used reliever and walk-on Sam Abrams, Miami earned its first berth in the College World Series since 2008 with a 10-3 win over Virginia Commonwealth on Saturday afternoon at Mark Light Field.
The Hurricanes swept the Rams in the best-of-3 series less than a week after their season hung in the balance after a regional loss to Co- lumbia. But the frustration from that night — and from the seven years of waiting for the program’s return to college baseball’s biggest stage — wasn’t visible in the min- utes after the final out was made at second base.
The Hurricanes, who have
dominated at home all season, threw their hats and gloves into the air before jumping into each other’s arms and eventually, piling onto each other on the pitcher’s mound in sheer joy.
“Wow. It’s been a long time since we’ve been to Omaha, so needless to say, I’m very excited. Our coaches are very excited and our players don’t know what’s getting ready to hit them,” Hurricanes coach Jim Morris said, while wearing a shirt with the words ‘Omaha Bound’ emblazoned across his chest. “It’s something they’re going to remember for the rest of their lives.”
But for Miami, that celebration, that happiness wouldn’t have been possible without two things — a big seventh inning and an impressive showing from Abrams, a player who two years ago was cut from Miami’s roster. That decision, one Morris deadpanned was made by his pitching coach, led to the senior doing parttime accounting work while researching the possibility of playing elsewhere.
He opted to stay at Miami, worked his way back onto the roster and on Saturday, came into a 3-3 ball game with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the third inning.
Abrams, who came into Saturday’s game having allowed just one run in his last seven appearances, struck out the first two VCU hitters he faced and then coaxed Rams left fielder James Bunn into a groundout that ended the inning. He went on to pitch a career-high four innings, retiring 12 of the 13 hitters he faced to earn the second win of his career.
“That was definitely the loudest crowd I’ve ever been in front of,” said Abrams, a former Miami Killian standout who, like many of his teammates, grew up watching the Hurricanes teams of the past at Mark Light. “I can’t believe having to come back for a fifth year after what happened my sophomore year ended up working out perfectly. I mean, it’s a dream come true honestly.”
Eventually, Abrams’ heroics set up a crucial fifth inning in which the Hurricanes took the lead for good when Jacob Heyward, the Hurricanes’ left fielder, helped Miami manufacture a run. He reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second, stole third and later scored on a passed ball that put Miami up 4-3.
That set up a big seventh inning during which the Hurricanes (49-15) scored five runs to distance themselves from the fourth-seeded Rams (40-25), who last week upset No. 1 seed Dallas Baptist to advance.
Miami totaled 10 hits in the win with three starters — Chris Barr, George Iskenderian and Willie Abreu — each notching multiple hits.
David Thompson, the nation’s leader in RBI, added to his season total of 87, pushing across two runs in the win. And Abreu, one of the heroes of last week’s regional tournament, hit another towering home run in the ninth to cap the scoring for Miami.
Now, the focus turns to the College World Series, where the Hurricanes will face a familiar foe in Florida, which swept Florida State in the Gainesville Super Regional.
But Saturday, there wasn’t much talk about that potential rivalry matchup.
“I’m glad to be there. I’m glad to be playing, whoever it is,” Morris said. “I’m just excited about being back.”